2017 pop culture: More superheroes, new binges in store

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DC gives it another go

The critical and audience reception of the DC Extended Universe hasn't approached that of its rival, the money-printing Marvel Cinematic Universe. Last year's "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice" and "Suicide Squad" each received mixed to negative reviews. DC will try to turn it around this year with a pair of major releases: "Wonder Woman" (June 2) and "Justice League" (Nov. 17).

PHOTO: AP/Chris Pizzello

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A major "Homecoming"

On the silver screen, Marvel's got some heavy hitters lined up for sequels, including "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" and "Thor: Ragnarok." But perhaps the studio's the most anticipated film features everyone's friendly, neighborhood "Spider-Man." Tom Holland's version of the web-slinger debuted briefly in the MCU in last year's "Captain America: Civil War," but this time around he's got his own film to show off Spidey's patented blend of high-school drama and larger-than-life villains.

PHOTO: Spider-Man: Homecoming; Marvel Entertainment, Sony Pictures

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Enjoy a binge or two

Every year, Netflix seems to up its game. Last year, the streaming service continued to expand its original offerings and came up with one of the best new series anywhere with "Stranger Things." We'll get another season of the kids' adventures in and around the Upside-Down, as well as new episodes of stalwart series "House of Cards" and "Orange is the New Black." This year also adds "Iron Fist" to Netflix's roster of Marvel series, while "Bill Nye Saves the World" and "Mystery Science Theater 3000" will arrive on your TVs, tablets and laptops.

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Set your DVRs

We're in the so-called Golden Age of Television, but some of the pillars of the era are nearing their series finales. The uber-popular "Game of Thrones" is on its penultimate season, while "Bates Motel," "Black Sails," "Girls," "Halt and Catch Fire," "The Leftovers" and others are gearing up for their final seasons.

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The saga continues

The galaxy's most popular space-fantasy franchise was riding a high last month with the successful release of the spinoff film "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" when little more than a week later Carrie Fisher, who famously played Princess Leia, died unexpectedly. Fisher most recently appeared in 2015's "The Force Awakens" and reportedly finished her scenes for the as-yet untitled follow-up "Episode VIII," which comes out in December. It will remain a heartbreaking blow to the people behind the films and a fanbase that adored the Princess.

PHOTO: Disney

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The next level

As virtual reality continues to grow, watch Sony and Microsoft continue to take steps into the market. PlayStation VR already debuted in 2016, and expect the next Xbox console to adopt the technology in some form later this year. Elsewhere in the video game world, some major sequels are on the way in 2017, including "Mass Effect: Andromeda" and "Red Dead Redemption 2."

PHOTO: AP

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More nostalgia

Last year saw long-gestating sequels finally come to fruition, with follow-ups to "Independence Day" and "Finding Nemo" hitting theaters. This year, the trend continues as the original replicant hunter Harrison Ford teams up with newbie Ryan Gosling in "Blade Runner 2049" on Oct. 6. More nostalgia? Disney has a live-action version of the animated classic "Beauty and the Beast" coming to theaters March 17, and "Power Rangers" releases a week later on March 24.

PHOTO: AP/Jordan Strauss

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Beyoncé at Coachella

The annual arts and music festival Coachella is used to big acts taking the stage, and this year is no different. Megastar Beyoncé is making her first appearance at the April show, with returning acts Radiohead and Kendrick Lamar also sharing headlining duties. Beyoncé may be coming off of a big showing at the Grammys, where she's nominated in nine categories, including album of the year.

The critical and audience reception of the DC Extended Universe hasn't approached that of its rival, the money-printing Marvel Cinematic Universe. Last year's "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice" and "Suicide Squad" each received mixed to negative reviews. DC will try to turn it around this year with a pair of major releases: "Wonder Woman" (June 2) and "Justice League" (Nov. 17).

PHOTO: AP/Chris Pizzello

A major "Homecoming"

On the silver screen, Marvel's got some heavy hitters lined up for sequels, including "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" and "Thor: Ragnarok." But perhaps the studio's the most anticipated film features everyone's friendly, neighborhood "Spider-Man." Tom Holland's version of the web-slinger debuted briefly in the MCU in last year's "Captain America: Civil War," but this time around he's got his own film to show off Spidey's patented blend of high-school drama and larger-than-life villains.

PHOTO: Spider-Man: Homecoming; Marvel Entertainment, Sony Pictures

Enjoy a binge or two

Every year, Netflix seems to up its game. Last year, the streaming service continued to expand its original offerings and came up with one of the best new series anywhere with "Stranger Things." We'll get another season of the kids' adventures in and around the Upside-Down, as well as new episodes of stalwart series "House of Cards" and "Orange is the New Black." This year also adds "Iron Fist" to Netflix's roster of Marvel series, while "Bill Nye Saves the World" and "Mystery Science Theater 3000" will arrive on your TVs, tablets and laptops.

Set your DVRs

We're in the so-called Golden Age of Television, but some of the pillars of the era are nearing their series finales. The uber-popular "Game of Thrones" is on its penultimate season, while "Bates Motel," "Black Sails," "Girls," "Halt and Catch Fire," "The Leftovers" and others are gearing up for their final seasons.

The saga continues

The galaxy's most popular space-fantasy franchise was riding a high last month with the successful release of the spinoff film "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" when little more than a week later Carrie Fisher, who famously played Princess Leia, died unexpectedly. Fisher most recently appeared in 2015's "The Force Awakens" and reportedly finished her scenes for the as-yet untitled follow-up "Episode VIII," which comes out in December. It will remain a heartbreaking blow to the people behind the films and a fanbase that adored the Princess.

PHOTO: Disney

The next level

As virtual reality continues to grow, watch Sony and Microsoft continue to take steps into the market. PlayStation VR already debuted in 2016, and expect the next Xbox console to adopt the technology in some form later this year. Elsewhere in the video game world, some major sequels are on the way in 2017, including "Mass Effect: Andromeda" and "Red Dead Redemption 2."

PHOTO: AP

More nostalgia

Last year saw long-gestating sequels finally come to fruition, with follow-ups to "Independence Day" and "Finding Nemo" hitting theaters. This year, the trend continues as the original replicant hunter Harrison Ford teams up with newbie Ryan Gosling in "Blade Runner 2049" on Oct. 6. More nostalgia? Disney has a live-action version of the animated classic "Beauty and the Beast" coming to theaters March 17, and "Power Rangers" releases a week later on March 24.

PHOTO: AP/Jordan Strauss

Beyoncé at Coachella

The annual arts and music festival Coachella is used to big acts taking the stage, and this year is no different. Megastar Beyoncé is making her first appearance at the April show, with returning acts Radiohead and Kendrick Lamar also sharing headlining duties. Beyoncé may be coming off of a big showing at the Grammys, where she's nominated in nine categories, including album of the year.

The critical and audience reception of the DC Extended Universe hasn't approached that of its rival, the money-printing Marvel Cinematic Universe. Last year's "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice" and "Suicide Squad" each received mixed to negative reviews. DC will try to turn it around this year with a pair of major releases: "Wonder Woman" (June 2) and "Justice League" (Nov. 17).

PHOTO: AP/Chris Pizzello

A major "Homecoming"

On the silver screen, Marvel's got some heavy hitters lined up for sequels, including "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" and "Thor: Ragnarok." But perhaps the studio's the most anticipated film features everyone's friendly, neighborhood "Spider-Man." Tom Holland's version of the web-slinger debuted briefly in the MCU in last year's "Captain America: Civil War," but this time around he's got his own film to show off Spidey's patented blend of high-school drama and larger-than-life villains.

PHOTO: Spider-Man: Homecoming; Marvel Entertainment, Sony Pictures

Enjoy a binge or two

Every year, Netflix seems to up its game. Last year, the streaming service continued to expand its original offerings and came up with one of the best new series anywhere with "Stranger Things." We'll get another season of the kids' adventures in and around the Upside-Down, as well as new episodes of stalwart series "House of Cards" and "Orange is the New Black." This year also adds "Iron Fist" to Netflix's roster of Marvel series, while "Bill Nye Saves the World" and "Mystery Science Theater 3000" will arrive on your TVs, tablets and laptops.

Set your DVRs

We're in the so-called Golden Age of Television, but some of the pillars of the era are nearing their series finales. The uber-popular "Game of Thrones" is on its penultimate season, while "Bates Motel," "Black Sails," "Girls," "Halt and Catch Fire," "The Leftovers" and others are gearing up for their final seasons.

The saga continues

The galaxy's most popular space-fantasy franchise was riding a high last month with the successful release of the spinoff film "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" when little more than a week later Carrie Fisher, who famously played Princess Leia, died unexpectedly. Fisher most recently appeared in 2015's "The Force Awakens" and reportedly finished her scenes for the as-yet untitled follow-up "Episode VIII," which comes out in December. It will remain a heartbreaking blow to the people behind the films and a fanbase that adored the Princess.

PHOTO: Disney

The next level

As virtual reality continues to grow, watch Sony and Microsoft continue to take steps into the market. PlayStation VR already debuted in 2016, and expect the next Xbox console to adopt the technology in some form later this year. Elsewhere in the video game world, some major sequels are on the way in 2017, including "Mass Effect: Andromeda" and "Red Dead Redemption 2."

PHOTO: AP

More nostalgia

Last year saw long-gestating sequels finally come to fruition, with follow-ups to "Independence Day" and "Finding Nemo" hitting theaters. This year, the trend continues as the original replicant hunter Harrison Ford teams up with newbie Ryan Gosling in "Blade Runner 2049" on Oct. 6. More nostalgia? Disney has a live-action version of the animated classic "Beauty and the Beast" coming to theaters March 17, and "Power Rangers" releases a week later on March 24.

PHOTO: AP/Jordan Strauss

Beyoncé at Coachella

The annual arts and music festival Coachella is used to big acts taking the stage, and this year is no different. Megastar Beyoncé is making her first appearance at the April show, with returning acts Radiohead and Kendrick Lamar also sharing headlining duties. Beyoncé may be coming off of a big showing at the Grammys, where she's nominated in nine categories, including album of the year.

PHOTO: AP/Andrew Harnik

2017 pop culture: More superheroes, new binges in store

From "Justice League" to the return of Bill Nye, familiar faces dotting the entertainment world this year

It's going to be tough to top 2016 for real-world drama, but if there's an area Americans always take up a notch, it's pop culture. With a new slate of superhero adventures, Netflix binges, concerts and video game experiences, 2017 should keep up that trend. Here's quick look at what to expect.